8 Die, As Farmers Clash With Herdsmen In Borno

No fewer than 8 persons were feared killed in an outbreak of fighting between herdsmen and farmers in Bayo Local Government Area of  Borno state.

The Commissioner of Police, Abdu Umar confirmed the incident at a meeting with leaders of the farmers association and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) on Friday in Maiduguri.

Mr Umar reports indicated that violence erupted on Nov. 30, over the alleged encroachment of farmlands and the murder of a farmer by unidentified assailants in the area.

“Eight persons killed including children while 47 houses and six motorcycles were burnt,” he said.

He said the police had restored normalcy to the area and arrested some suspects in connection with the disturbances, adding that the state government had provided relief items to the affected persons.

“This is a source of concern to the government and security agencies, the meeting is aimed at providing lasting solutions to the problem.

“At the end, we shall come up with modalities to check the movement of wandering herders into the state, especially in areas that witnessed violence,” he said.

According to him, a committee will be set up to enhance surveillance and monitoring as well as promote peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders.

The commissioner said membership of the committee would comprise representatives of security agencies, farmers and herders associations.

In his remarks, Ahmadu Musa-Karube, Chairman of the MACBAN, called for proactive measures to address the root cause of the problem.

Musa-Karube said that the lack of cattle routes and encroachment of farmlands were largely responsible for farmer/herder clashes in the state.

Also speaking, Hassan Musa, a farmer representative, advocated a ban on night animal grazing in the state.

He also called for closer collaboration between the leadership of the farmers and herders’ unions to address the problem.